FDA Clears Light-Based Acne Treatment

Photonics.comAug 2002
SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 21 -- Lumenis Ltd. has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its acne treatment device, The ClearLight system, for certain types of acne. The system uses high-intensity, narrow-band phototherapeutic light to destroy acne-causing bacteria.

A.R. Shalita, M.D., of SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., led the ClearLight clinical trials. "ClearLight is an important new treatment for acne. It's effective, painless and, most importantly, has no known side effects," he said.

The treatment destroys Propionibacterium acnes bacteria, or P. acnes, the primary cause of most acne. The device's high-intensity light excites the porphyrins, resulting in photodestruction of the acne bacteria without damaging the surrounding tissue or skin.

The typical ClearLight treatment regimen consists of eight visits over a period of four weeks. While any area of the body that has moderate inflammatory acne can be treated, the most common areas are the face, neck, chest and back. The ClearLight system works equally well on patients of all skin colors, Lumenis said.